The Candice Malcolm Show - November 11, 2021


Lest we forget.

Topics
Remembrance Day history
Hosted by
Candice Malcolm
Mentioned
Leo Clark Nicola Goddard Justin Trudeau Canada Thomas George Prince Ernest Smokey Smith Quentin Tarantino Arabella Prince Sally Goddard Malcolm Show Replica Panther Henry
Don’t let the Woke Left ruin Remembrance Day The CBC is a joke and Canadians are laughing at them

Episode Stats


Length

15 minutes

Words per minute

181.29

Word count

2,759

Sentence count

162

Harmful content

Misogyny

1

sentences flagged

Toxicity

1

sentences flagged

Hate speech

1

sentences flagged


Summary

Summaries generated with gmurro/bart-large-finetuned-filtered-spotify-podcast-summ .

Candice Malan talks about the history of Remembrance day and four of Canada's greatest war heroes, and why it's so important to remember those who fought and died for our freedom. The Candice Malcolm Show is brought to you by The Royal Canadian Legion and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
Misogyny classifications generated with MilaNLProc/bert-base-uncased-ear-misogyny .
Toxicity classifications generated with s-nlp/roberta_toxicity_classifier .
Hate speech classifications generated with facebook/roberta-hate-speech-dynabench-r4-target .
Topics generated with Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct.
Hosts, guests, and mentioned names generated with spaCy (en_core_web_sm), reconciled against Wikidata.
00:00:00.000 Brave Canadians fought and died to defend and preserve our freedoms.
00:00:04.540 Let us honour them, let us thank them, and lest we forget.
00:00:07.960 I'm Candice Malcolm and this is The Candice Malcolm Show.
00:00:15.020 Hi everyone, thank you so much for tuning in to a special Remembrance Day edition of The Candice Malcolm Show.
00:00:20.560 Today I want to talk a little bit about some of the greatest moments in Canadian history,
00:00:25.920 some of the proudest individual Canadians who fought, in many cases, died for our freedom.
00:00:32.560 I know that in today's world, Canada is sort of known as like a kinder, gentler, more polite, more reserved version of our American neighbours.
00:00:43.180 We are sort of known as being a little bit more progressive, a little bit more liberal, and sort of just more polite, more reserved for sure.
00:00:51.060 But it wasn't always the case. Canada's reputation globally used to be quite different.
00:00:54.540 We used to be known as sort of rowdy fighters, the kind of people that you would want on your side during a fight.
00:01:01.360 Canadians were known and celebrated and revered as war heroes, as incredibly brave on the battlefield.
00:01:09.440 They were feared by their enemies and, you know, absolutely revered and loved around the world for the risks and the bravery.
00:01:17.580 They were known as being innovative and having ingenuity really sort of different than what comes to mind today when you think of a Canadian.
00:01:27.020 And I think that the sort of new iteration of like, you know, a Justin Trudeau Canadian is still quite wrong.
00:01:34.440 You know, you go to most parts of the country and that sort of rowdy, independent-spirited, you know, loyal, all of those great qualities still exist in many, many Canadians around the country.
00:01:47.960 That might not be the reputation that we sort of get globally, but it still is there.
00:01:52.620 And especially on a day like Members, it's so important to revisit our history, to go back to those moments that really helped define us as a country and recognize the incredible bravery that was needed in order to go off to a foreign land to fight, risk your life.
00:02:07.000 In many cases, just witness absolutely horrific things in the name of war, all to defend an ideal, the ideal of our freedoms, our Western liberal democracy that we have today and how fortunate we are, how rare it is in human history to live in a country that is so free, so prosperous, based on the rule of law that grants so many freedoms.
00:02:27.260 I think that it's incredibly important for us to remember that and revisit it.
00:02:32.300 So I want to first talk a little bit about Remembrance Day, the history of the day, and then I'm going to get into four war heroes that we selected to highlight on the program today.
00:02:40.680 So Remembrance Day was first observed in 1919.
00:02:44.180 It was observed throughout the British Commonwealth.
00:02:46.660 It was originally called the Armistice Day because it was there to commemorate the Armistice Agreement, the agreement that ended the First World War.
00:02:52.900 And that, of course, happened on November 11th.
00:02:55.780 The agreement was signed at 11 a.m.
00:02:57.640 This was in 1918.
00:02:58.580 So the 11th hour, the 11th day, the 11th month.
00:03:03.080 Oh, and by the way, you might be wondering why I'm still wearing my poppy because you're supposed to take your poppy off after that 11 a.m. ceremony.
00:03:10.180 Well, I record my show earlier in the morning and then we air it in the afternoon.
00:03:14.260 So right now as I'm recording it, it's not 11 a.m. yet and hence why I still am wearing my poppy.
00:03:20.020 But yes, so the 11th hour, 11th day, 11th month, that was the Armistice Day.
00:03:24.080 So from 1921 to 1930, Armistice Day was held on Monday of the week of November 11th.
00:03:30.140 So whenever that was Monday.
00:03:31.480 But then in 1931, a member of Parliament from Comox, Alberni, introduced a bill to observe Armistice Day always on November 11th, passed in the House of Commons.
00:03:41.460 And the day was changed to Remembrance Day.
00:03:43.620 So the first Remembrance Day was observed on November 11th, 1931, and we have been observing Remembrance Day on November 11th ever since.
00:03:51.680 So every year on November 11th, Canadians pause in a moment of silence to honour and remember the men and women who have served and to continue to serve Canada throughout times of war, times of conflict, as well as times of peace.
00:04:04.480 We remember the more than 2.3 million Canadians who have served throughout our nation's history and the more than 118,000 who made the ultimate sacrifice, who gave their lives to protect Canada, to defend our freedoms and our way of life.
00:04:19.600 And of course, the poppy, we're all very familiar with the poppy.
00:04:22.160 It is a symbol of Remembrance Day.
00:04:24.160 Replica poppies are sold by the Royal Canadian Legion and the proceeds go to veterans, provide assistance to veterans.
00:04:31.680 The national ceremony for Remembrance Day is held at the National War Memorial in Ottawa.
00:04:37.840 The Governor General of Canada presides over the ceremony.
00:04:40.900 It's also attended by the Prime Minister, other government officials, representatives of veterans' organizations, diplomatic representatives, other dignitaries, veterans, as well as the general public.
00:04:51.700 So in advance of the ceremony, we see long columns of veterans, Canadian Armed Forces members, RCMP officers, as well as cadets.
00:04:59.640 They march to the memorial led by a bagpipe band and a color guard.
00:05:05.940 And at the end of the ceremony, they march away to officially close the ceremony.
00:05:09.780 And so Canada is not the only one to recognize Remembrance Day.
00:05:12.840 Some of the 54 Commonwealth member states, including Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia,
00:05:18.200 they all observe the tradition of Remembrance Day, just like Canada, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
00:05:25.020 Other nations observe a solemn day, but at a different time.
00:05:29.520 So for example, ANZAC Day is observed in New Zealand on April 25th.
00:05:33.560 In South Africa, Poppy Day is marked on the Sunday that falls closest to November 11th.
00:05:38.480 So lots of countries around the world look at this day as an important day in history because it ended that first world war.
00:05:45.740 And also many nations that are not members of the Commonwealth also observe Remembrance Day on November 11th, including France, Belgium and Poland.
00:05:54.280 And interestingly, the United States used to commemorate Armistice Day on November 11th.
00:05:58.820 However, in 1954, they changed the name to Veterans Day.
00:06:02.400 So just a little bit of history about this day, why we honor it, why we commemorate it.
00:06:06.200 And really, it just gives us an opportunity to pause and recognize how incredibly fortunate we are to live in this time of sustained peace, incredible opportunity, freedom and prosperity.
00:06:19.500 Yes, I know that so many of our freedoms have been taken away or at least suspended temporarily because of COVID and the crazy last two years that we've had.
00:06:28.460 But really, when you look back and you think about some of the times where people actually went off to war, when the entire world was engulfed in a war, I mean, it's hard to imagine what it would feel like, you know, to be a parent at that time, to have a child, to be in a situation where you were being sent off to a foreign land to defend a place you've never even been to, people you've never met, as well as to defend Canada broadly and defend the world against threats.
00:06:57.920 But really, we should all recognize how incredibly fortunate we are to live at this time.
00:07:04.720 And it is because of the sacrifices by people who came before us.
00:07:07.820 So I do want to get into honoring some Canadian histories and spotlighting some really, really tremendous Canadians.
00:07:14.260 But before I do that, I just want to say, if you are enjoying the Candace Malcolm Show, if you like what we do here at True North, head on over to tnc.news.donate and consider making a modest donation to help us with our efforts.
00:07:25.240 Our entire operation is run off of donations, off of the generosity of our viewers, people who are watching.
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00:07:32.340 We don't believe that journalists should get money from politicians.
00:07:35.560 It is a conflict of interest and it is wrong.
00:07:37.680 So if you support the idea of independent journalism, don't forget to head on over to tnc.news.donate and make a modest donation.
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00:08:17.180 Okay, moving on.
00:08:17.860 I want to talk about some of these Canadian war heroes because there's so many.
00:08:21.720 As I just mentioned, there's over 2.3 million Canadians who have served in the uniform to defend Canada.
00:08:27.840 And of those, almost 120,000 have given their life to defend our freedom.
00:08:33.760 So first, I want to talk about a World War I war hero by the name of Leo Clark.
00:08:38.260 So Leo Clark was born in Hamilton, Ontario on December 1st, 1882.
00:08:42.600 He was enlisted in Winnipeg, Manitoba on February 25th, 1915.
00:08:46.900 He served in the Canadian Infantry in the Eastern Ontario Regiment.
00:08:50.280 So in 1916, Clark was tasked with clearing out the left flank of a recently attacked German trench near the village of Poisiers, France.
00:08:59.020 So Clark led his men to the trench, but when he got there, they encountered heavy resistance.
00:09:03.820 And suddenly, he found that he was the only survivor.
00:09:06.960 He was the only one left alive.
00:09:08.400 So armed with only a pistol, Clark was facing around 20 German infantrymen and two officers.
00:09:15.740 Undaunted, Clark fought tooth and nail with whatever he could find, picking up enemy rifles off the ground.
00:09:21.340 And finally, using this pistol, he killed 18 enemy soldiers, captured one, sent the rest running, and suffered only a bayonet wound in the process.
00:09:29.980 And keep in mind, we're talking about the First World War, where guns didn't really work.
00:09:34.260 I mean, half the time, they were jammed.
00:09:36.420 The whole idea of modern warfare didn't exist.
00:09:39.320 So really, a lot of the times, these guys were fighting with their fists, with knives.
00:09:43.840 And incredible bravery, incredible story of Leo Clark from Hamilton, Ontario.
00:09:49.340 So next, I want to talk about a World War II veteran by the name of Thomas George Prince.
00:09:54.300 Prince was one of 11 children born to Henry and Arabella Prince of the Broken Head Band in Scantanbury, Manitoba.
00:10:01.540 Prince was enlisted in June 1940 at the age of 24 and began his wartime service as a sapper with the Royal Canadian Engineers.
00:10:10.700 After two years with the RCE, he answered a call for paratrooper volunteers.
00:10:15.420 And by late 1942, he was training with the 1st Canadian Special Service Battalion.
00:10:20.620 As the name suggests, the group was one of the first modern special forces units performing highly dangerous missions behind enemy lines.
00:10:27.020 They were arguably the closest real-world counterpart to Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Bastards.
00:10:33.440 Now, as one of Prince's officers recalled, he moved like a shadow.
00:10:36.980 Sometimes, instead of killing the Germans, he'd steal something from them. 0.78
00:10:40.240 Other times, he'd slit their throats and not make a sound.
00:10:43.620 So Prince served in both World War II, where he survived, as well as the Korean War.
00:10:48.280 On February 8, 1944, in Italy, he managed to repair a 1,400-meter-long telephone wire while under heavy shelling by the enemy.
00:10:57.900 He was alone and he had no help.
00:11:00.140 He then engaged in 24 hours of solo spying that led to four enemy positions being destroyed.
00:11:06.340 Now, sadly, despite surviving both World War II and the Korean War, when he got back to Canada, Prince's life sort of started to deteriorate.
00:11:14.540 His life became increasingly difficult as his job prospects were slim, and he continued to struggle with alcoholism.
00:11:20.840 Eventually, he became estranged from his own family.
00:11:23.060 His own children went into foster care, and he continued to live in destitute.
00:11:28.460 He lived at a Salvation Army hostel, and he died in Canada homeless.
00:11:33.900 So, very, very, very sad story for an incredible war hero.
00:11:38.220 Okay, moving on, another World War II veteran.
00:11:40.720 I want to talk a little bit about an individual named Ernest Smokey Smith.
00:11:44.620 So, he was born on May 3, 1914, in New Westminster, British Columbia.
00:11:48.600 So, he enlisted with the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada in March 1940, and began basic training with the Royal Canadian Regiment in Toronto.
00:11:57.000 He went on to complete his training at Camp Borden before sailing out of Halifax to join the war effort in Europe.
00:12:03.420 During the Second World War, Smokey became the only Canadian private to earn the Victoria Cross after he almost single-handedly fought off German tanks and soldiers during the Italian campaign.
00:12:14.680 So, in October 1944, as the Allies were pushing through northern Italy against fierce German resistance, Smokey and his small platoon were sent across the flooded Savio River to secure an important bench head.
00:12:27.520 After capturing the position, they came under an intense enemy counterattack.
00:12:31.400 The Germans dispatched three Panther tanks, self-propelled artillery guns, and a horde of infantry to retake the position, pinning the Canadians down near the river.
00:12:41.420 So, Smokey didn't waste any time.
00:12:43.480 He grabbed an anti-tank bazooka and sprang into action under intense enemy fire.
00:12:48.900 He walked to about 30 feet of the first Panther tank and took it out with a single shot.
00:12:54.420 So, once the Germans overcame the surprise of Smokey's audacity, they sent 10 of their own infantrymen to go in and get rid of Smokey unfazed.
00:13:03.600 Smokey grabbed his Tommy gun, stood his ground, killed four enemy soldiers, forcing the remainder to retreat.
00:13:09.760 He continued to hold his position while defending a wounded comrade, forcing additional German forces to withdraw in disorder before carrying his friend to safety.
00:13:19.500 So, this is the kind of thing that Canadians were once known for, being just incredibly, incredibly tough and standing their ground.
00:13:25.900 Okay, now I want to finish off by talking about a Canadian war hero from my own generation.
00:13:30.760 I want to talk about someone who fought in the Afghanistan War.
00:13:34.180 I'm talking about Nicola Goddard, who was the first Canadian soldier to die in combat.
00:13:39.560 So, she was the first of three children for British and Canadian school teachers Tim and Sally Goddard.
00:13:44.400 By the age of 18, she had lived in seven different communities across Canada and attended high school in Anaganish, Nova Scotia.
00:13:51.920 So, after graduating from high school, Nicola flew off to Montreal for a basic officer's training course at the St. Jean Garrison.
00:13:59.820 She then completed four years of Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario.
00:14:04.000 She graduated as a trained artillery officer and was posted to the 1st Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery as a second lieutenant.
00:14:11.100 She then deployed to Afghanistan in January 2006 as a forward observation officer attached to the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.
00:14:20.880 On May 17, 2006, Nicola Goddard and over 200 Canadian and Afghan soldiers were tasked to sweep an area south of Kandahar in the Panjwahi District.
00:14:31.180 The mission was to root out an element of the Taliban that was gathering in this area.
00:14:35.760 So, Nicola and her team were then ambushed by militants as they moved into a mosque in the district.
00:14:42.300 Scrapnel struck Goddard in the back of the head, killing her instantly. 0.99
00:14:45.860 She was 26 years old when she died.
00:14:48.760 So, again, incredible bravery throughout the generations.
00:14:52.300 Still incredible bravery today that we see by Canadian men and women serving in the armed forces.
00:14:58.020 And we should always remember the contributions that they give, the sacrifices they make for us.
00:15:03.280 November 11th is the perfect time to pause, take a moment of silence, and recognize how fortunate we are to be Canadian.
00:15:11.100 I'm Candice Malcolm and this is The Candice Malcolm Show.